All about Sherry: an amazing tasting, and why we should drink more of it All about Sherry : an introduction, an amazing tasting, and why we should be drinking more of it I love Sherry. It�s one of the treasures of the wine world, but for a while now it has been woefully underappreciated. In this article, I�m going to try to convince you to drink more of it by sharing my enthusiasm, as well as some notes from a big tasting of many of the top Sherries. Sherry is a fortified wine made from vineyards in the far south of Spain, where extreme heat�summer temperatures regularly exceed 40 �C�is countered by cooling breezes from the Atlantic. Table wines made from here wouldn�t be terribly exciting, but the complex process of Sherry production, including the addition of spirit once fermentation is complete (fortification), results in complex, stable wines. This stability is one reason for the historical popularity of sherry: it became highly fashionable in the UK in the late 16th century, at a time when temperature controlled shipping and storage wasn�t an option.

Sherry�s popularity peaked in the late 1970s, when roughly twice as much was exported from the region than is shipped today. The region has since been through a painful contraction, but is now bouncing back, largely because of the consistently high quality of the wines that are now made here, and the fact that they offer great value for money. Now for the slightly boring (but important) bit. The background facts. The vineyards are mainly located within a triangle formed by the Sherry towns Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanl�car de Barrameda. The characteristic vineyard soil in the region is known as albariza. A blinding white colour in bright sunlight, it has a high chalk content, and retains water well. In such a warm, breezy region, evaporation levels are potentially very high, so this characteristic is important. Vines are pruned by a method called vara y pulgar, which is similar to the French �Guyot�, with a single cane of some seven buds and a short replacement cane of a couple of buds. Harvesting is almost always done by hand.

There are three grape varieties authorized for the production of Sherry: Palomino, Muscat of Alexandria (also known as Moscatel) and Pedro Xim�nez. The latter two grapes are mainly used for sweetening purposes, and Palomino is by far the dominant grape in the region. It�s a relatively heavy cropper, producing large bunches of pale green grapes, which are harvested at a potential alcohol level of 11�12.5 degrees. The resulting base wines are crisp with a neutral character. It�s the production process that transforms these into the compelling, diverse wines that sherry is known for. Essential to the production of sherry is the growth of a layer of film-forming yeasts on the top of the developing wine. This is known as the flor, and it forms spontaneously from yeasts that are abundant in the winery environment when the sherry casks are left incompletely filled. Sherry butts (as the barrels are known) are made of American oak and usually have a capacity of 600 litres, but are only filled to 500 litres, leaving a large air space.

The species of yeast responsible for this film, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is the same as the yeast that carries out alcoholic fermentation, but four specific races have been identified as being involved in flor formation: beticus, cheresiensis, montuliensis and rouxii. The precise make-up of this yeast layer changes with time. The growth of the flor protects the developing wine from oxidation. It�s thicker in the humid coastal towns in the region. In addition, the flor contributes a distinctive flavour to the wine through metabolizing alcohol to the nutty, apply compound acetaldehyde. To keep the flor healthy, casks are periodically topped up with fresh wine, to maintain the nutrients that the yeasts need to survive. At the end of the year when fermentation is complete and the wine is still on its lees, it is classified and then fortified. This classification determines the destiny of the wine. The cellarmaster will taste through the casks with a view to separating out the lighter, more elegant wines to become fino, and the heavier, darker wines to become olorosos.

Styles of Sherry Fino Crisp, dry, yeasty, nutty and tangy, fino is the freshest and most delicate of sherry styles, weighing in at around 15% alcohol. Protected from oxygen during its development by the flor, fino needs to be treated like white wine once it has been opened. It�s a versatile food companion, and should be drunk chilled. Manzanilla This is a fino-style sherry from the coastal town of Sanl�car de Barrameda. Because the more humid environment in the bodegas here encourages a thicker flor layer, these wines are typically lighter and even fresher than fino, often with a distinctive salty tang. Amontillado Aged fino that has lost its flor and then gone on to develop oxidatively, amontillado is an amber-coloured sherry that is nutty and complex, with a long finish. It is fortified to around 17.5 � alcohol to protect it during its development, and because it has been aged oxidatively it will last for longer once opened. Palo Cortado A sort of half way house between a fino and an amontillado, Palo Cortado is the result of a fino sherry losing its flor.

Nutty, fresh and complex, this is now a popular style. Oloroso Complex brown-coloured sherries, Olorosos develop in barrel without the protective flor layer, often for many years. The result is a complex, rich, nutty style of sherry with aromas of old furniture and raisins. These wines are dry. Because they�ve seen so much oxidation during development, they are pretty stable and stay in good condition for a while once the bottle is opened. Pedro Xim�nez Made from air-dried grapes, with fermentation stopped early by the addition of spirit, Pedro Xim�nez is a remarkable wine. Viscous and amazingly sweet, it tastes like liquid Christmas cake. Cream Cream sherries are more commercial products that have been sweetened by the addition of Moscatel or Pedro Xim�nez. Typically, a single chalk slash on the face of the cask will indicate that a wine is to become a fino; two slashes will indicate it is to become an oloroso. Fino wines will then be fortified to 15 � alcohol, and olorosos to 17 or 18 �.

At this latter level of alcohol, the flor dies, and so olorosos are not protected from oxygen during their development in the way that finos are. Pedro Ximenez in the glass! Also important to the flavour of sherry is the solera system. This is a rather complex arrangement of barrels (butts) where wine travels from one to another in a precise order during its maturation. Rather confusingly, the lowest level of butts is known as the solera, which is the name also used for the entire system. This is the final stage in the maturation process, and this is where the wine leaves the system. Up to one-third of the wine may be withdrawn each year from these barrels, but typically the amount taken will be 10�15%. They are fed by wine from the next level of butts, knows and the first criadera. The first criadera is in turn topped up by a third level of butts, the second criadera. Wine in the second criadera is usually replenished by new wine, but there can many levels in the most complex of the solera systems.

Sherry that has been through a solera system such as this will therefore contain a mixture of vintages. The system helps maintain a house style, and results in consistent wines. Some vintage-dated sherries that have not been through a solera exist, but these are a rarity. An amazing tasting The tasting notes below are from a remarkable Sherry Institute of Spain tasting of A�ada, VOS and VORS sherries. These are classifications that refer to the age of the wines: VOS (very old Sherries) are at least 20 years old; VORS (very old rare Sherries) are at least 30 years old; and A�adas are vintage dated Sherries from a single year. These wines were not tasted blind. Harveys Fine Dry Amontillado VOS Very fresh, salty, nutty nose is complex and bright. The palate is fresh and salty with a rounded, nutty character, high acidity and a citrussy finish. 91/100 (�19) Lustau Dry Amontillado VOS Brown colour. Soft, broad and rich with complex notes of old furniture, tar and casks. Hint of raisiny richness.

90/100 (�30) Sandeman Royal Esmerelda 20 Year Old Fine Dry Amontillado VOS Cloudy light brown colour. Soft yet tangy with notes of fudge, nuts and tar. Dense with some spiciness. A broad, soft style that has faded a little. 89/100 (�14) Domecq Amontillado 51-1a 30 Year Old VORS Orange brown colour. Lively nose with fresh citrus fruit as well as nuts and herbs. Savoury, salty tang. The palate is lively and bright with some citrus freshness and good acidity, finishing very long. 92/100 (�30) Gonzalez Byass Del Duque Amontillado VORS Fresh, complex and nutty with a nice citrussy brightness and good acidity. Very stylish. 92/100 (�14 Sainsburys, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods) Hidalgo Amontillado Viejo VORS Orange/brown colour. Profound, complex nose with herbs, citrus and old floors.

Powerful, tangy palate is herby with fresh citrus pith notes and salty nuttiness. Long finish: a really complex wine. 94/100 (�60 BB&R, Tanners) Bodegas Tradicion Amontillado 30 Year Old VORS Orange colour. Lovely complex nose of marmalade, spice, dried fruits and lemons. The palate is lively and complex with brilliant citrus freshness under the nutty old furniture and herb notes. Brilliantly vibrant. 94/100 (�55 Fortnum & Mason) Williams & Humbert Jaffa Amontillado 30 Year Old VORS Intensely aromatic nose of crystalline fruits, grapes, herbs and raisins. The palate is rich with herby, tarry fruit and good acid. Expressive and complex. 91/100 (�11 Cambridge Wine Merchants, Lindley Fine Wines, Bristol Wine Merchants, Stanton Wines, Whitebridge Wines, Rodney Densem Wines, Goodrich Wines) Harveys Palo Cortado VOS Orange brown colour.

Lively with lovely tangy citrussy freshness on the palate, together with richer, more raisiny sweetness. It has an off-dry character because of the richness of the fruit. 91/100 (�19) Hidalgo Jerez Cortado Wellington VOS Lighter style. Dry, with herby, appley, tangy fruit. Quite bright and fresh with good acidity. 89/100 (�23 Majestic, Tanners) Lustau Palo Cortado VOS Warming, nutty and spicy on the nose with tar, herbs and old furniture. The palate has some fruit sweetness with good acidity. Complex and broad. 91/100 (�30) Williams & Humbert Dos Cortados Palo Cortado 20 Year Old VOS Yellow orange colour. Warm vanilla and spice nose. The palate is soft, spicy and nutty with herby, lemony fruit and attractive nutty complexity.

90/100 (�11 (�11 Cambridge Wine Merchants, Lindley Fine Wines, Bristol Wine Merchants, Stanton Wines, Whitebridge Wines, Rodney Densem Wines, Goodrich Wines) Domecq Palo Cortado Capuchino 30 Year Old VORS Orange brown colour. Aromatic, spicy, nutty nose with tangy citrussy freshness. The palate is broad and rich with lovely fresh, citrussy, spicy notes as well as some complex earthiness. 92/100 (�30) Gonzalez Byass Aposteles Palo Cortado VORS Orange brown colour. Rich, spicy, slightly tarry, intense nose. The palate is sweetly fruited with rich, grapey, raisiny character. Intense stuff. 92/100 (�14 Sainsburys, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods) Hidalgo Palo Cortado Viejo VORS Orange brown colour. Complex, fresh, tangy nose with tar, spice, old casks and some lemony freshness. The palate is fresh with a herby tang to the dry, nutty, citrussy fruit.

Complex, persistent and lively with a long finish. 93/100 (�75 BBR, The Sampler, Waitrose) Osborne Solera PΔP Palo Cortado Abocado VORS Orange brown colour. Weird nose but lovely palate. Funky, smoky and minerally on the nose � quite reductive. The palate is sweet, complex and raisiny with tarry notes. Very long finish. Odd but lovely. 94/100 (�85 Longford Wines) Bodegas Tradicion Palo Cortado 30 Year Old VORS Yellow orange colour. Light, fresh and lemony. Fresh, complex salty citrus flavours on the palate. Long and complex, in a lighter style. 91/100 (�60) Fernando de Castilla Antique Oloroso VOS Orange coloured. Fresh, light and a bit funky with good acid and herby, citrus, orange peel character. Dry, with a lovely savouriness. 92/100 (�20 Waitrose) Lustau Dry Oloroso VOS Brown colour. Warm, rich, casky, nutty and raisiny on the nose.

The palate is long and complex with broad, spicy flavours. 93/100 (�30) Valdespino Don Gonzalo Oloroso Viejo VOS Brown colour. Lovely rich, warm, spicy, casky nose. The palate is fresh and bold with lovely complex spicy notes and rich, grapey, raisiny, citrus characters. 92/100 (�29 Moreno) Domecq Oloroso Sibarita 30 Year Old VORS Savoury, herby, tangy nose with citrus freshness and some richer, casky notes. The palate is rich and intense with lovely spiciness. Complex, broad and with a long finish. 93/100 (�30) Hidalgo Oloroso A�ada 1986 Orange colour. Tangy, citrussy nose. The palate is light and expressive with herby, citrussy complexity and a persistent, high-acid freshness. Fantastic complexity here. 94/100 (�85 Harvey Nichols) Hidalgo Oloroso Viejo VORS Wonderfully complex citrus peel, floor polish and spice nose.

The palate is funky and complex with profound, fresh, nutty, lemony complexity. Very expressive. 94/100 (�70 BB&R) Osborne Solera India Oloroso VORS Deep brown colour. Old furniture nose with hints of orange peel and raisins. The palate is massively complex with tarry, spicy, raisiny fruit and fresh citrus notes. There�s some sweetness here. Awesome. 95/100 (�85 Longford Wines) Bodegas Tradicion Oloroso 30 Year Old VORS Orange gold colour. Complex, tangy nose is rich and fresh at the same time. The palate is dry with fresh, complex nutty notes and some citrus freshness, as well as some salty hints. A lighter style, but massively complex. 94/100 (�55 Fornum & Mason) Valdespino Oloroso Solera Dei Su Majestad VORS Deep brown colour. Complex, tarry, spicy, casky nose. The palate is intense and quite rich with smooth, tangy herb, citrus, cask and raisin notes. Very refined.

93/100 (�230 Moreno) Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Sweet Oloroso VORS Fantastic. Very sweet but complex and intense with fresh acidity and lemony brightness. Profound. 94/100 (�14 Waitrose, Sainsburys, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods) Harveys Rich Old Oloroso VORS Deep brown colour. Rich, casky, old furniture nose with spice and tar notes. The palate is rich and intense with fresh citrus notes under the raisiny richness. 92/100 (�20) Lustau Rich Oloroso A�ada 1989 Orange brown colour. Savoury, spicy, minerally edge to the raisiny nose. The palate is sweet and vivid with warm raisiny notes and casky complexity. 92/100 (�21 Green & Blue, Fortnum & Mason) Lustau Rich Oloroso A�ada 1990 Sweet and complex with tar, citrus and fudge notes. Fresh and intense with nice presence.

91/100 (�21) Garvey Oloroso VOS Complex, spicy and slightly earthy with sweet, rich, subtly raisined fruit. Bold and complex. Lovely. 92/100 Garvey PX VOS Deep brown. Very intense, sweet nose with raisins and tea. Viscous palate is supersweet with nice complexity. 90/100 Fernando de Castilla Antique PX VOS Dark brown. Very aromatic raisiny nose. Viscous, smooth, sweet and raisiny palate which is soft and sweet. 92/100 (�20 Waitrose) Bodega Tradicion PX 20 Year Old VOS Very dark brown. Warm, sweet raisiny nose. Super sweet Christmas cake palate offset by nice spiciness and some acidity. Great balance. 94/100 (�60 Fortnum & Mason) Williams & Humbert Don Guido Pedro Xim�nez 20 Year Old VOS Dark brown colour. Very sweet nose is raisiny and rich. Treacly, rich, raisined palate with a subtle bitterness. Lovely stuff.

93/100 (�11 Cambridge Wine Merchants, Lindley Fine Wines, Bristol Wine Merchants, Stanton Wines, Whitebridge Wines, Rodney Densem Wines, Goodrich Wines) Domecq PX Veneable 30 Year Old VORS Viscous, almost black colour. Intense, tarry, raisiny nose. Rich, viscous palate with nice spiciness on the finish. Brilliant. (�30) Gonzalez Byass Noe PX VORS Very deep colour. Viscous, spicy and intense with lovely richness and supersweet raisiy fruit. 92/100 (�14 Sainsburys, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods) Harvey Pedro Xim�nez VORS Very deep brown colour. Sweet raisiny nose. Open, soft and sweet. 90/100 (�20) Osborne Solera Viejo PX VORS Very deep brown colour. Complex, spicy, raisiny nose. The palate is intense and viscous with treacly, raisiny fruit. Nicely complex.

93/100 (�85 Waitrose) Wines tasted 10/08 Sherry production process | SherryNotes Published on December 4th, 2013 | by Ruben 2 Sherry production process I know a lot of people out there are still struggling with the different types of sherry. Why is a Fino different from an Amontillado or a Pedro Ximénez , or what makes a Pale Cream different from a regular Cream ? To get a detailed insight, we would need to explain how each type is made and how the production process differs from other types. We’ll get into this further, but I’ve already tried to sum it up in a little diagram. Note that there are seven columns and each column shows the flow of one specific type of sherry: Now let’s explain the separate steps of the sherry production process: Grapes, harvesting and pressing Basically it starts with the grape variety. All dry sorts of sherry wines are produced from the Palomino grape (also referred to as Listán). It thrives well on the typical albariza soils of the Jerez area. These grapes are harvested fresh and they are pressed almost immediately.

Usually this is done in different stages, each with a different pressure and different specifications of the resulting mosto or must. The first pressing (primera yema) produces the best grape juice, the last is only suited for distilling into brandy. For naturally sweet wines, two other varieties are used: Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel. These are left outside in the Andalusian sun for several hours to several days until the grapes lose some of their moisture and have a higher relative sweetness. The grapes will resemble raisins when they are crushed – higher pressure is needed. Fermentation After filtering the musts, correcting the pH and treatment with sulphur dioxide to prevent bacterial contamination, the grape juices will start to ferment naturally. In the old days this was done in wooden barrels ( Valdespino still produces its wines that way) but nowadays most bodegas use huge stainless steel tanks that are heated to 23-25°C. Usually a small amount of already fermenting must (pie de cuba) will be added to speed up the initial process. After that, two phases of fermentation (tumultuous and slow fermentation) take place.

Musts of Palomino grapes will keep fermenting until nearly all of the available sugars are processed into alcohol – this will lead to a “base wine” ready around the end of Autumn. On the other hand the fermentation of the PX and Moscatel musts will be cut off early in the process by bringing it to 10% alcohol, in order to retain a lot of the sugars. The wine is left to settle during the winter months and it is then fortified to its final strength. At the end of the fermentation process, a layer of flor will naturally occur on these base wines, due to the specific climate conditions of the Jerez area. Fortification and classification After fermentation the lees will be filtered off and the musts will be classified. The finest, most delicate examples will be fortified to 15 – 15,4% vol. alcohol by adding neutral grape spirit (produced in the La Mancha region, from Airén grapes). The delicate musts are intended for biological ageing, i.e. ageing under a layer of flor, without contact to oxygen. It is called biological because it is the natural way.

The slightly courser base wines, which show a less elegancy at this stage, will be fortified to 17 – 18% vol. alcohol. This kills any existing flor and will make sure it doesn’t come back. From that moment, the wine will mature in an oxidative way, with contact to the surrounding air. The result will be an Oloroso. Naturally sweet wines will always be fortified to a higher degree as flor is not wanted in this type of sherry. Ageing in a solera After the first fortification and a short maturation, the base wines or sobretablas will be classified again. The different categories will then enter a solera, an array of barrels that are arranged in a certain hierarchical way, with the younger wines partially replacing the older wines that are taking out. This is explained in our article about the solera system . Biological ageing will result in a Fino or Manzanilla depending on the location, while oxidative ageing will produce an Oloroso . In accordance with the Regulations of the Denomination of Origin the ageing of sherry wines must last at least two years (three until recently), enough time to allow the wines to develop the distinctive characteristics of each type.

Nowadays the preferred type of cask is the American oak 600 litre butt, also known as a bodega butt. It is never filled to the top, thus creating a surface area upon which the flor may develop. Note that along the way, the veil of flor can die and wines that started their life as a Manzanilla or Fino can gradually shift towards oxidative maturation. This can occur after a certain age (because the nutrients in the base wine that keep the flor alive have been consumed) or because the cellarmaster decides to fortify the wine again an deliberatly kill the flor. This produces the intermediate types of sherry: Amontillado and Palo Cortado (technically similar wines but with slightly different aromatic properties). Saca and bottling When sherry is taken out of the final stage of the solera (called the saca), it will usually be filtered and cold stabilized to make sure the wine will keep most of its features until it is opened (although there is a shift towards minimal post-processing these days, see en rama sherry ). Also, as sherry has a defined minimum strength, it can be fortified again in order to meet a certain alcohol volume.

It will also be blended: the output of different casks is put together and mixed. After these steps, the wine can be put in bottles and distributed to different parts of the world. Note that there are naturally dry sherries as well as naturally sweet sherries ( Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel ), but it’s also possible to artificially sweeten sherry wines after maturation, by adding a kind of raisin syrup or by blending a dry wine with a naturally sweet sherry like Pedro Ximénez. This produces wines that are labeled Pale Cream, Medium, Cream or Dulce . Sometimes these sweetened wines are put back into barrels in order to ‘marry’ the different components, and they are only bottled after a while. ps/ Thanks to Denis Shumakov for giving me the idea of a flowchart. If only I could read Cyrillic… Tags: ageing , blending , bottling , diagram , fermentation , flowchart , fortification , harvesting , maturation , production , sherry , solera , steps About the Author Ruben fell in love with sherry fifteen years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it.

Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at Related Posts Sherry: An Affordable Not-Just-Dessert Wine Sherry: An Affordable Not-Just-Dessert Wine Deborah Goldstein Posted on Jan 26, 2011 Spain isn’t only famous for remarkable table wine ; it is also unique in its sherry production. And although I encourage you to think twice before buying commercial wines , with sherry, I sing a different tune. From the commercial to the boutique, these wines have an exceptional quality/price ratio. Since style ranges from lean and dry to downright sweet and thick, they can be seamlessly paired with a spectrum of foods. Heck, you can even use a splash or a dash to make savory dishes seem richer. It’s like culinary alchemy! Read on for a sherry starter kit. Wine’s First Cousin. Like table wine, sherry begins its evolution as grapes, usually of the lackluster Palomino variety. Pedro Ximenez (pedro hee-men-ETH, or simply PX) and Moscatel are used to produce sweeter sherries.

All three of these are white grape varieties, and the resulting sherries will possess a nutty, salty, oxidative flavor profile, regardless of sweetness. Also similar to wine, sherry is a classified DOC like Champagne ; it may carry the name sherry because of its address, the Jerez district—a specific area at the southern tip of Spain. Outstanding sherry-style wines also originate slightly to the north of Jerez in Montilla-Moriles, where the non-fortified version of PX excels. Sherry’s Unique Twists. During the initial fermentation, local brandy is added to fortify the wine, arresting the fermentation and bolstering alcohol content (Use caution when sipping this “old lady” drink….it contains up to 22% alcohol, compared to conventional wine’s top end of 15%). Next, it’s set out to age using the Solera system, whereby young sherry works its way down a hierarchical stack of barrels to replace portions of more mature juice that, in turn, moves down to an older mixture of aging juice to eventually be bottled. Hence, no vintage dates on Sherries. Some styles are aged under a layer of yeast to protect them from oxidation.

Others are left out blatantly, to oxidize. A practical bonus: Once opened, they deteriorate at a much slower rate than table wine. A Sherry Style For Every Setting. Manzanilla, Fino, Amontillado, and Palo Cortado describe different aging regiments. These are all dry, with only Amontillado potentially approaching the medium-dry style. Richer and potentially sweet sherry is inferred with the categorization of Oloroso, Cream, and Pedro Ximenez. (Notice PX is the name of both a grape and a style of wine.) PX can be added to dry sherry to yield cream sherry. Sherry….A Food-Friendly Wine? Each Sherry style courts countless sweethearts in the food realm. Just think of the variety on a Spanish tapas menu. The principles of pairing sherry are parallel to pairing wine, according to weight and texture, with food . For Manzanilla and Fino, think lean ocean foods like mussels, shrimp, and of course, sushi! Amontillado and Palo Cortado display a rich nuttiness that can stand up to spice as well as intense flavors, including blue cheese and strong fish like sardines.

Spanish Serrano ham and Prosciutto di Parma are naturals with Oloroso because the wine doesn’t fight with the ham’s inherent salty nature. Rich Oloroso also pairs well with fatty dishes….think duck or tuna. Try a Marcona almond and blue cheese-stuffed date wrapped in bacon with a sip of a sweet Oloroso and you’ll believe in magic. PX is strictly dessert juice—it is dessert. Pinpoint your sherry preferences by ordering different sherries by the glass, and drink royally on a subject’s income. A Starting Point For Your Sherry Exploration. Savory & James Manzanilla ($11) Mayu Pedro Ximenez - A Refreshingly Refreshing Wine From A Grape You've Never Heard Of • Reverse Wine Snob® Mayu Pedro Ximenez – A Refreshingly Refreshing Wine From A Grape You’ve Never Heard Of April 9, 2014 Meet Pedro Ximenez: A grape varietal long used in the production of brandy and sherry makes a surprisingly delicious wine. 100% Pedro Ximenez from Elqui Valley, Chile. SRP of $15 and available for as low as $12.

500 cases imported by Vine Connections. Sample submitted for review. Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor Marketview Liquor or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine here . From the bottle: “In the northern edge of Chile lies the Elqui Valley, a place of bright days and cold nights. It’s perfect for growing grapes and gazing at what the Incas called Mayu — the river of stars in the Milky Way. For this reason, you will see eight observatories here, all studying the heavens. A stylish white wine, with appealing aromas of lemon and lime, balanced by fresh acidity. Long finish and mineral character makes this an excellent match for shellfish and seafood. 12.5% Alcohol” The Elqui Valley is one of the newest regions for producing wine in Chile. In fact Vina Mayu, which was started in 2005, was the first winery in the valley. How then does today’s wine come from 70 year old vines when the winery is so much younger? It’s simple really — the Elqui Valley has long been known for producing the best grapes for Pisco. Pisco is a type of grape brandy made in Peru and Chile.

One of the primary grapes they use is Pedro Ximenez. (This variety is also planted in Spain where it is used in sherry.) In researching this new to me grape I read that it is generally considered not to be suitable for table wines due to a lack of acidity. Whether that is overcome by the unique conditions of the Elqui Valley, the age of vines, or something else altogether I don’t know, but I do know that there was no evidence of a lack of acidity in today’s wine. The 2012 Vina Mayu Pedro Ximenez begins with pleasant aromas of citrus, lime and a streak of almost fresh smelling minerals (if it’s possible for minerals to smell fresh). The wine tastes really delicious with similar flavors to the nose and features a fresh, bright and lively mouthfeel with some nice underlying minerality. It ends crisp and tasty with the citrus turning tart and that fresh minerality continuing. A refreshingly refreshing wine that is just a delight to drink! Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor Marketview Liquor or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine here .

Taste Rating: 8 Cost Rating: 7 Overall Rating: 7.8 The Soil And Grapes Of The Jerez District Of Spain Used For Sherry | Sherry And Port The Soil And Grapes Of The Jerez District Of Spain Used For Sherry Tweet Sherry is a type of wine that originates in the Spanish city of Jerez and its surrounding regions. Although it’s been made in other winemaking regions of the world, sherry has always been most prominently crafted in Jerez, to the extent that wines classified specifically as “sherry” must originate from Jerez under Spanish law. Any variance is specifically noted, and the resulting wine may be called, for instance, “California sherry.” The unique properties of traditional sherry are in part the result of characteristics of the soil and grapes of the Jerez district. Geography of the Jerez Designated Origin (DO) Area The city of Jerez is located in the southwestern corner of Spain, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Towns in the legally designated sherry-producing area include El Puerto de Santa Maria, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Trebujena, Puerto Real and several others, all within the Cadiz province of Spain.

Three cities in the Jerez DO are further classified as the Crianza area–Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda. Only wines from these three specific cities may receive the Jerez designation. Soil of the Jerez Region Soil is one of the key aspects of viticulture and winemaking. In the Jerez region, the vines that produce sherry grapes wouldn’t grow quite as successfully in another location. The Jerez hill marked regions suitable for vine-growing are locally referred to as albarizas. Known for holding and maintaining rainwater, albarizas allow vines to grow excellently even during the frequently dry, hot summers often experienced in Spain. Other soil regions are sometimes used for growing Jerez wine grapes, such as the barros and arenas (clays and sands, respectively), though not as commonly as the albarizas. Winemaking Grapes of the Jerez Region Under Spanish law regulating sherry production, only three grape varietals can legally be used to make sherry. These are as follows: • Moscatel, a grape used to make one of the sweet, “vino dulce natural” types of sherry wine.

This grape is also used in a number of other wines. • Palomino Fino, the grape varietal used to make nearly all non-Moscatel types of sherry, whether sweet or dry. • Pedro Ximenez, used in the production of the sweet sherry wine that bears its name. Both Moscatel and Pedro Ximenez grapes are often dried in the sun before they are used in the process of fermenting, aging and finally storing and drinking sherry. Related posts: Sherry Wine 101 Sherry Wine 101 A True Spanish Wine Treasure Sherry Casks at Mora Winery. Osborne By Stacy Slinkard Updated November 22, 2016. Sherry wines are recovering new ground in the wine world, and it is well deserved. Sherry has a long history of serving the likes of Christopher Columbus to Shakespeare, and has recently been previewing new spotlights for its stellar value and food-friendly behavior in our modern world of wine.

Getting down to brass tacks, Sherry is a fortified wine, produced in southwest Spain's "Sherry Triangle." This triangle consists of the three sunny towns of Puerto de Santa María, Jerez and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The Palomino and Pedro Ximénez grapes are the primary grapes used to make Sherry. The soil in this region is chalky, limestone based, and provides the perfect conditions for growing the Palomino and Pedro Ximenez (PX for short) grapes that are used in making the world’s finest Sherries. Once harvested and fermented, the wines fate is then decided - will it become a Fino or an Oloroso? Two Styles of Sherry The two predominant types of Sherry are Fino (very dry with a lighter body) and Oloroso (still dry, but much richer in both flavor and body). continue reading below our video Why Baking Pans Really Matter If the winemaker is going for Fino, alcohol is added (fortification) until it reaches just over 15%; however, if Oloroso is the goal then alcohol is added to reach an 18% alcohol content.

Now the fun begins, while the wines remain in their casks they are permitted contact with air in the top portion of the cask. A layer of yeast, called "flor" forms a coating on the surface of the Sherry, keeping the wine from over-oxidizing - these wines will become Finos as their lower alcohol content is what allows the yeast to grow in the first place. Olorosos, on the other hand, do not support the growth of flor due to their higher alcohol content. Olorosos are permitted to oxidize intentionally, producing a darker, and richer wine, with more body than a Fino.​ The Sherry Solera System Sherry wines must go through a solera system for adequate aging. This system is essentially a blending system of casks that hold wines of different ages. The oldest casks of Sherry are the ones that are bottled in a given year and the next casks are arranged in such a way that the youngest Sherries are blended into a series of casks holding progressively older Sherries.

The blending off of younger Sherry into older Sherry results in very consistent, high-quality wines that all share a portion (albeit small) of the oldest, original vintage of Sherry made at the bodega . Sherries do not have a vintage date, per se, as they are really a blend of many years. 8 Types of Sherry Fino - Very dry, light-bodied Sherry that is straw-like in color. The characteristic aromas associated with Finos are almonds. Typically, Finos comes in at about 15-17% alcohol by volume. Amazing with almonds, olives, ham, and chips and dips. Manzanilla - Also dry, and pale in color. A "fino" style of Sherry made in Sanlucar and best with seafood and tapas. Amontillado - In between Fino and Oloroso in terms of color and body. This off-dry Sherry loses its flor during the aging process and yields deeper color and a lovely nutty flavor. The characteristic aromas associated with Amontillados are hazelnuts. This Sherry is great with oily fish and chicken dishes. Oloroso - Dark in color, rich in flavor.

Olorosos typically have a remarkable walnut aroma and a swirled caramel flavor making them a top pick for rich meats and flavorful cheeses (consider Manchego, a delicious Spanish cheese made from sheep's milk). Palo Cortado - Is a very rare Sherry that begins life as a Fino (where the yeast develops) and progresses to an Amontillado (where the flor dies off) but ends up with the richer style of an Oloroso. This Sherry has a dry palate and an enchanting reddish-brown color combination with dramatic aromas and full flavor. Sweet Sherry - Is a Sherry that has been sweetened with Pedro Ximénez (PX) grape juice. Pedro Ximénez grapes have a high residual sugar content as they are sun-dried (think raisins) to concentrate the sugars before being pressed. Flavors that one can expect from PX are the thick, sweet flavors of fig and molasses. Cream Sherry - Rich mahogany in color and velvety smooth in texture, a sweet Sherry made from Amontillado or Oloroso and sweetened with PX. Perfect with cheesecake.

Pedro Ximénez - Is an ultra sweet almost syrup-like dessert Sherry, made from sweet, sun-dried grapes of the same name. Its alcohol content is on the lower end of the spectrum and its flavor profiles lean towards the toffee, fig, date and molasses side of the vine. I had the Osborne Pedro Ximénez Viejo over vanilla ice cream and it was unbelievable, better than any dark chocolate or caramel sauce you can find! Sherry Storing and Serving Tips All Sherry should be stored upright in a cool, dark place. Finos and Manzanillas are not long lifers and should be consumed fairly quickly after bottling. Once they have been opened, keep them stored in the refrigerator to prolong their life up to around two weeks. Serve them chilled. Amontillados can keep for 2-3 years in a sealed bottle and again once opened should be consumed within a couple of weeks (keep in refrigerator to prolong life). Serve chilled or at a crisp room temperature. The Olorosos, Sweet and Cream Sherries and the Pedro Ximénez Sherries can all be stored for many years as they have more age and weight on them.

You don't have to store these guys in the refrigerator after opening (but you may), just keep them in a cool, dark storage location (a basement is ideal). Serve at room temperature. Sherry Producers to Try Palomino and other sherry grapes | SherryNotes Published on October 13th, 2014 | by Ruben 1 Palomino and other sherry grapes The production of sherry is based on three grape varieties: Palomino for the dry types of sherry, Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel for sweet versions. Even though 19th century documentation indicates that up to 250 varieties of grapes were planted in the region at that time, these three have always been the favourite grapes for the finest wines. They’re all white grapes. Nowadays more than 95% of the grapes grown in the D.O. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry are Palomino, for two reasons. The main reason is the decline in sherry sales, and oversupply which caused only the best vineyards to survive – Albariza vineyards which are perfect for Palomino. The lower-grade terrains have been planted with sunflowers or used for solar power.

Coupled to this is the fact that Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez are now bought from vineyards in neighbouring areas, with specific soils and climatic conditions. Palomino Fino Commonly called Palomino, the more precise name is Palomino Fino, to distinguish it from its ancestor, the less yielding Palomino Basto, also called Palomino de Jerez. It is said to be named after Fernán Palomino, a knight of some importance during the Reconquista. The Palomino grape is known by several names, the most common being Listán. In other parts of Spain, it is simply called Jerez, in the Portuguese Alentejo region it is known as Perrum, in South Africa as Fransdruif, on Madeira they say Listrão. The vine has dark-green leaves and grape bunches are generally long and cylindrical in shape, with medium-sized, thin-skinned berries which are yellowish green in colour. The grapes, which ripen early in September, are juicy, fragile and moderately sweet (around 11º Baumé) with colourless juice. It is a particularly high yielding variety.

Palomino juice has a relatively low acidity, especially of the malic variety, which makes the base wines oxidise easily – perfect raw material for sherry! When used to create white table wines, Palomino doesn’t really shine. It results in rather dull wines lacking in fruit and acidity (although the unfortified flor wines called Florpower are definitely worth looking for). Palomino grapes are very neutral in aroma, which is a downside for table wines but a great asset in sherry: it is the perfect grape to transfer the typical chalky, coastal characteristics of the Albariza soil into the dry types of sherry. Pedro Ximénez Together with Palomino, Pedro Ximénez is another very traditional variety used throughout the Jerez region since ages. Its greater sugar content (around 13-14º Baumé) and higher levels of acidity are great for sweet wines. The Pedro Ximénez grape variety is believed to be introduced in Spain by the Dutchman Pieter Siemens, a soldier serving in the navy of Carlos V, who supposedly took the grape from the Rhine area and transported it to the South of Spain in the 16th Century.

This story is debated: no similarities have been found with current Rhine varieties and it seems unlikely that a grape could survive in such different climates. In other parts of the world, Pedro Ximénez grapes are also found, but again some of them only share the name, not the ampelographic characteristics. Sometimes the grapes are just picked very ripe, but most of the time P.X. grapes are dried in the sun on straw mats. In general this process (called soleo) takes between 5 and 15 days – it makes the water evaporate from the grapes which means the relative sugar contents gets higher. Although traditionally produced in the Jerez area, PX musts are now mostly bought from partners in the neighbouring area Montilla-Moriles , where the humidity is lower. This makes the drying process more effective and the grapes less prone to rotting. Soleo, the process of drying grapes in the sun The juice from Pedro Ximénez grapes has a sugar content of up to 300g/l. It will not start to ferment in a natural way – specific yeast types have to be selected, which are tolerant to high levels of sugar.

As soon as a natural alcohol level of 5% is reached, neutral grape spirit will be added and fermentation will stop. The resulting base wines of around 15% will then be shipped to the sherry triangle for maturation in a solera. Note that in the D.O. Montilla-Moriles they also produce dry types (Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso) from Pedro Ximénez. Moscatel Moscatel is short for Moscatel de Alejandría (Muscat of Alexandria). This grape variety originated in Africa, but it is now cultivated in many vine-growing regions throughout world. In the Jerez region it is planted mostly in the area around the town of Chipiona, where there are lots of arenas , sandy soils which are perfect for this type of grape. Like Pedro Ximénez, most of the Moscatel grapes are dried in the sun (soleo). This is called Moscatel de Pasas (raisin Moscatel). However they are bigger grapes with thicker skins, so they won’t concentrate as much as PX. The resulting Moscatel wines usually display a lot of floral aromas and a honeyed, raisiny palate.

Sometimes it is blended with a bit of Pedro Ximénez to create a deeper character. Tags: grapes , listán , moscatel , palomino , pedro ximenez , sherry , soleo , vines About the Author Ruben fell in love with sherry fifteen years ago, but switched to a higher gear in 2013 and started writing about it. Lived in Madrid for a couple of years, now back in Belgium. I also run a whisky blog over at Related Posts Sherry Blend Wine Information Sherry Blend Wine Sherry Blend Sherry Blend is a convenient, collective name for the three grape varieties used to make Sherry in Jerez, southwestern Spain. They are Palomino , Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel de Alejandria (Muscat of Alexandria). Palomino is by far the dominant variety, and accounts for almost 95% of Sherry production. It is usually used varietally, although sometimes Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel de Alejandria are used in small proportions to add richness.

Pedro Ximenez, most famously used in the production of lusciously sweet sherries, is grown in such small volumes in Jerez that it is often brought in from Montilla-Moriles , 60 miles (100km) inland. Muscat of Alexandria is also grown on a very small scale, and is valued for its sweetness and light, fruity aromas. However, the winemaking methods employed to make Sherry are arguably far more important to the finished product than the grape varieties. For more information about these see: Jerez-Xeres-Sherry . Food matches for Sherry include: Salted roast almonds (fino) Salmon marinated in sake and sesame oil (amontillado) Pecan pie (oloroso)

Question: Pedro Ximenes is a grape usually used in the production of which drink?
Answer: SHERRY .